Experience of partner's violence among married women in a squatter settlement of Karachi, Pakistan

This study investigated the wife experience of verbal and physical violence from their husbands, aimed to estimate the prevalence of interpersonal violence and to identify the reasons among women in squatter settlements of Karachi, Pakistan. The data was collected using a cross-sectional study design, by structured interviewing 400 currently married women. Seventy percent (283) of the study subjects reported verbal violence while 25% (100) women reported for physical violence. Women felt mental pressure due to verbal violence as 89% (253/283). The main reasons for physical violence were: in-laws (26%), wife arguing 24%, stopping husband for smoking 17%, taunting the children by the husbands/ in-laws 14%, financial constraints 13%, house-hold chores 7%, stopping the husbands for any thing by wife 6%, women had abortion 5%, followed by others. The qualitative phase of study emerged the themes that husbands violence is the part of normal life of women, Health professionals should be helping victims, and government as state should provide support through women police and women advocates. This study revealed the high prevalence of verbal and physical interpersonal violence, which needs the attention of health professionals and policy makers. There is a need to provide awareness among the society.